Tie rod lock



Nov. 24, 1953 A. STODDARD TIE ROD LOCK Filed Jan. 24, 1951 \JHILUJJ!MELUHL I Z A? i /6' INVENTOR J? Zexanzier SZ'OJJQTYZ BYWLM ATTORNEYS Patented Nov. 24, 1953 .TIE RODLOCK Alexander Stoddard, Auburn; Maine, assignor .to John Marshall, Auburn, -Maine Application January 24, 1951, Serial No; 207-5535 1 Claim. (01. 287-90) This invention relates to a safety lock for tie rods.

In the securing of tie rods onto the steering mechanism of a vehicle, the tie rod is secured to a stud having a ball head seated in a ball socket, and the adjacent end of the tie rod is secured to the stud by means of nut and locknut. However, it frequently happens that the locknut is jarred loose and the tie rod becomes disconnected from the stud with resulting damage to the vehicle and possible injury to the driver and passenger. It is, therefore, an object of this invention to provide a safety means which will hold the tie rod from disengagement from the stud irrespective of whether or not the holding nut and locknut are in place.

Another object of this invention is to provide a safety means for a tie rod which can be readily applied and will not affect the normal operation of the steering mechanism.

A further object of this invention is to provide a safety device of this kind which is formed out of resilient material so as to permit relative normal movement of the joint elements.

With the above and other objects in view, my invention consists in the arrangement, combination and details of construction disclosed in the drawings and specification, and then more particularly pointed out in the appended claim.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a detailed side elevation partly broken away and in section of a safety lock for tie rods constructed according to an embodiment of this invention.

Figure 2 is a. sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a perspective view of a, tie member in locked position and showing in dotted lines the initial configuration of the lock.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral I designates generally a tie rod knuckle embodying a ball socket member I I having a threaded stud I3 projecting therefrom. A ball member I2 is pivotally and rockably mounted in the socket I I and includes a stud [4 on which one end I5 of tie rod I6 is adapted to be pivotally secured. The bearing end I5 of the tie rod I6 is secured on the stud I4 by means of a nut I! which is threaded on the stud I4, and the nut I! is locked by means of a lock nut I8.

The tie rod construction hereinbefore described is a conventional construction, and under constant vibration the lock nut I 8 and the nut I! become loosened so that the bearing I! of the tie rod drops off of the stud I4. This results in the steerable front wheels of the vehicle becoming disengaged from the steering wheel and steering shaft so that the vehicle is uncontrolled and frequently results in more or less serious accidents. In order to provide a means whereby the bearing l5 of the tie rod I6 will be held against dropping off from the stud I4 irrespective of whether the nuts I! and I8 are in position on the stud, I have provided a tie rod lock generally designated as I 9. The lock I9 is formed from a single length of relatively stiff wire or rod and includes a U-shaped saddle 20 which is adapted to engage beneath a Washer 2I which is interposed between the nut I7 and the tie rod bearing I5. The saddle 20 has projecting obtusely therefrom a pair of initially upwardly convergent arms 22 and 23, and the terminal ends of the arms 22 and 23 are formed with right angularly disposed locking extensions 24 and 25, respectively. The arm 22 is adapted to be bent about the knuckle stud I3 as indicated at-26 and then extended downwardly substantially parallel with the arm 23. The looking member 24 which is carried by the arm 22 is then disposed in contacting relation with one side of the arm 23 as shown in Figure 3.

The arm 23 is also bent downwardly as indicated at 21 over the knckle stud I3 being positioned on the outer side of the loop 26, and the arm 23 is then extended downwardly substantially parallel with arm 22, and the locking extension 25 is disposed on the inner side of arm 22 oppositely from the locking member 24. In other words, the locking member 24 will be disposed on the outer side of the arm 23 and the locking member 25 on the inner side of arm 22 so that excessive strain on arms 22 and 23 will not result in the release of the device.

In the application of this safety look, after the nuts I! and I8 have been threaded onto the stud I4 with the washer 2I in position, the saddle 20 is extended beneath the washer 2I and the arms 22 and 23 are extended upwardly on opposite sides of the knuckle stud I3. The two arms 22 and 23 are then bent downwardly about the stud l3 and the locking members 24 and 25 extend on the outer and inner sides respectively of the arms 23 and 22. The inherent resiliency of the safety member I9 will permit the normal rocking of the ball stud I4 relative to the knuckle I 0, but in the event the nuts I! and I8 should become unthreaded and drop from the stud I4 the bearing I5 of tie rod I6 will be held about the stud I4 by means of the U-shaped saddle member 20. This I safety lock will prevent any accidents which are caused from uncoupling of the tie rod with the steering knuckle and can be applied without any change in the details of construction of the steering knuckle or the tie rod assembly.

What is claimed is:

In combination, a steering knuckle formed of a ball socket with a stud extending therefrom and a ball in the socket, a tie rod stud extending from the ball, a tie rod, 9, safety attachment holding the tie rod against disengagement from the tie rod stud, said attachment comprising a resilient U-shaped saddle engaged about the tie rod stud and beneath the tie rod, a pair of angularly disposed projecting resilient arms extending from the ends of said saddle, arcuate members extending toward each other from the ends of said arms carried by said arms engaged about said first named stud, and outwardly projecting locking members carried by the ends of said arcuate members each disposed on an opposite side of one of said arms to interlock said arms and said members about said stud extending from said socket.

ALEXANDER STODDARD.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

